LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT You’re Never Too Experienced to Fake It Till You Learn It by Herminia Ibarra JANUARY 08, 2015 Novices emulate favorite bosses and colleagues in an effort to look and talk as if they know what they are doing — even when they have no clue. It’s how they develop and grow (just as children do, first imitating their parents, then their peers). But this natural — and efficient — learning process tends to break down as people gain experience and stature. As we become more certain about what we “know” and who we are, the idea of mimicking others feels artificial, even distasteful. So we stick with what’s natural and comfortable. And that’s precisely what gets us in trouble as we hit career transitions that call for new and different ways of leading. In my research on how experienced managers and professionals step up to bigger leadership roles, I have observed both the value and the difficulty of returning to our youthful, fake-it-till-you-learn-it strategies. The only way to pick
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You’Re Never Too Experienced to Fake It Till You Learn It
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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
You’re Never Too Experiencedto Fake It Till You Learn Itby Herminia Ibarra
JANUARY 08, 2015
Novices emulate favorite bosses and
colleagues in an effort to look and talk as if
they know what they are doing — even when
they have no clue. It’s how they develop and
grow (just as children do, first imitating their
parents, then their peers). But this natural —
and efficient — learning process tends to break
down as people gain experience and stature.
As we become more certain about what we
“know” and who we are, the idea of
mimicking others feels artificial, even
distasteful. So we stick with what’s natural
and comfortable. And that’s precisely what
gets us in trouble as we hit career transitions
that call for new and different ways of leading.
In my research on how experienced managers
and professionals step up to bigger leadership
roles, I have observed both the value and the
difficulty of returning to our youthful, fake-it-till-you-learn-it strategies. The only way to pick